Happy Friday! Although these days I don’t really know what day it is…they’re all a blur. Also, happy first day of June. I feel like the first five months of this year really flew by being pregnant and I have no doubt that the rest of the year will be the same. I’m really trying to soak up every moment of this crazy and special time of life right now.
FRIDAY THINGS
One of my friends gave me a One Line A Day five-year memory book and I really want to make an attempt to fill it out every day to document special moments and everyday life. I think I’ll love having it to look back on. I need to make it part of my morning or evening routine so that I keep it up!
So…I opened social media this morning and was greeted with an onslaught of #nationaldonutday posts and now all I can think about is a donut. Maybe I need to take Finn out for a little outing!? 🙂
Speaking of Finn, this little man is TWO WEEKS old today!
It still blows my mind that he was inside of me just a couple of weeks ago and now he’s here and he’s perfect. It’s such a miracle.
I’ll have my two week postpartum update on Sunday. I think I’m going to stick with posting those on Sunday evenings if that sounds good to you guys!
And speaking of outings, I’ve started getting out of the house a bit this week and it’s been really nice. I’ve visited with friends and family and gone to a few appointments.
A few Friday faves to share!
FRIDAY FAVES
- MY MOM IS COMING BACK! She’s driving back to Charlotte next weekend and I am counting down the days. I am just so looking forward to having her company even more so than her help! Although I am hoping I can get in for a LONG overdue cut and color and leave her on baby duty…and she’ll be here for my birthday!
- I love this article about eating “rules” from a registered dietitian and it’s so in line with my own personal food philosophy.
- Looking for summer bathing suit inspiration? My friend Teri has an awesome collection of one and two pieces. You should also read her Boston Marathon Race Recap!
- Breastfeeding hydration has been a challenge for me now that I’m not teaching hot yoga and guzzling down multiple liters of water every day. I ordered this water bottle from Amazon to carry around the house with me and to take out on walks and errands. It definitely encourages me to drink more water and I like that it doesn’t sweat and the water stays icy cold for hours. It was also reasonably priced! Now, the real challenge will be for me not to lose it! I’m the worst at keeping up with water bottles.
- There are some great ideas in this round up of healthy grilling recipes. I want to make the greek lamb burgers ASAP!
- This feel good song from Trevor Hall.
- Has anyone watched the new Netflix series The Letdown? Let me tell you, hitting a little close to home right now! I’ve been watching episodes of it while breastfeeding. I’ve also heard the new Ali Wong comedy special is a must-watch too.
- Since I pretty much eat as much watermelon as possible during the summer months, these homemade watermelon coconut popsicles look amazing.
A REQUEST FOR YOU!
Since I am on maternity leave and healing from childbirth and a c-section…my days look a little different when it comes to work and working out…and most of daily life in general!
Please let me know if you have any blog topic requests that you’d like for me to tackle during this time. It can be anything from pregnancy to fitness to food to dogs…whatever. You just let me know if there is something you’d like for me to cover. I have a few ideas but I’d love to build a new topic list.
Are you celebrating National Donut Day?
Watched anything good on Netflix or Amazon lately? Please share if so!
I’ve been watching the Heart of Dixie on Netflix. It’s about a southern Alabama town full of quirky people.
It makes me laugh which is something I desperately need these days.
Whether you really are or not (and it’s obviously very okay if you’re not!), you seem so light and happy right now. Joy really comes through your writing and social media. It’s beautiful to watch! So happy for you.
Always love your list of Friday faves! Would love to see a post on how you stay on track with fitness/healthy eating while on vacation. I do such a good job and feel so good about where I am with my workouts/healthy eating balance when I’m living my normal routine at home, but struggle with striking a good balance while on vacation! I still want to enjoy but don’t want to feel like I’ve totally sabotaged all my efforts while traveling!
Great idea for a topic! Also, SAME! I get into a routine and always, always, get sidelined by work travel, horrendous PMS/cramps, and/or catching a cold. Sigh.
The only thing that has helped me so far is to keep up your good habits, even if it’s at a much lower level that usual (for example, walk if you usually run). At least that way it’ll be easier to jump right back in when you are back in your routine.
You should watch “the girlfriends guide to divorce”. I’ve been loving that show (while on maternity leave!) :-). It’s a little Sex in the City-ish style I’d say. It’s a fun one.
Finn is adorable ?
Finn is just the cutest little guy and you look great! Motherhood really suits you. I’m due next Friday with a little boy as well so I’ve loved all of you pregnancy and pp posts! For watching, I recommend “Nailed It” on Netflix. It is hilarious and I think the 2nd season is coming out soon. “Catastrophe” or “Marvelous Mrs Maisel” on Amazon Prime are really good too.
Finn is just beautiful. And he definitely looks like he wants a donut today!! ;-))
I love funny/lighthearted shows while in that newborn stage , something about a light tv show before entering the land of “how many times will I get up tonight?” helps my mood.
Like previously mentioned, Hart of Dixie is a good one! Also Schitts Creek (my all time fave) and we recently discovered Ugly Betty on Hulu – I don’t know how I missed this show when it was in its original run because it is great!
Keep the baby pics coming! ❤️
Aw, thank you for sharing those posts sweet friend!!!
And Finn is seriously so cute I can’t stand it!!!!!!! And how has it been two weeks?!?!?! I’m dying to meet him! xo
So cute and so alert and happy looking!! Yes, the breastfeeding/water struggle is real!! I remember adding a lot of lemon to help! I love your updates-due July 3rd with my second and it’s helping me remember all the fun parts of postpartum, such as dehydration!
Loved the letdown it’s quick and easy to watch! Perfect nursing show!
Happy Friday, Jen and Finn!
As a fellow misplacer-of-bottles, if this one disappears I also recommend the Bubba bottle with straw (picked it up at target!) sometimes it’s easier to chug with a straw (and this one is pleasantly silicone).
I keep hearing great things about a series on BBC America, Killing Eve. I haven’t gotten around to starting it yet, but maybe you’d be interested?
Have a great weekend! Here’s hoping for some dry days.
Gah, Finn is so adorable! I’m so happy your mom is visiting again too. My mom is coming up this weekend and I’m so excited just to go for walks around the city and talking!
For future blog post topics, I’d actually love to have a post about prioritizing close friendships (and more about how you met Dorie, how you work on your relationships with your friends, navigate misunderstandings, etc). As a 30 year old woman who’s childless and in a (very) long distance relationship, my friendships with my girls is SO important, but it also requires a lot of balancing of schedules, etc.
A couple fun post ideas: your food ruts/grooves over the years, 10 minute yoga for runners, eating healthy in the South (I LOVE visiting the southern US, where my boyfriend lives, but man, they do not make it easy for you if you want to eat healthy!), favourite movies/books/chill things to do.
Jen – check out Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix if you haven’t! I devoured (pun intended) two seasons in two days!! Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant – hilarious!
Congratulations again on your beautiful baby!!! He is so precious. I have a six month old son and you’re already giving me baby fever over here!
For Netflix shows, I’ll echo Hart of Dixie and Gilmore girls! And Parenthood! The last two are great for parenting inspo 🙂 my husband and I also loved Friday night lights while we were on parental leave!
Im not sure if these would make good blog topics but if we were having coffee, I’d pick your brain about these:
(1) since I’ve had my baby and gone back to work (I had 12 weeks off and went back shortly after), quality time with my family has been my number one priority! And I feel like I’m constantly trying to find little ways each day to maximize the “life” in my work/life balance! I’ve come up with a few little tweaks that have made a huge difference for me (like listening to podcasts during my commute, sneaking into my sons room to cuddle with him even if he’s asleep, and finding more ways to go “off script” with our weeknight plans) but I’d love your thoughts!
(2) any thoughts you have on being mindful with money without having a full on budget—again, something that’s come up a lot with a new addition 🙂
oooh, I’d second the ten-fifteen minute yoga for runners, or even yoga for the intimidated by yoga individual.
I’d love for you to do a re-run of your thirty day plank challenge or alternate fitness building challenge. but I’m pro-recycling during this time of maternity leave.
I’d love for you [or your readers] to give some tips/strategies on how to stay fitness motivated, and how to find new training partners, or how to train after significant life changes [health challenges/work/etc].
I agree! I’m training for my first 10K and and I don’t want to injure myself so would love pre and post run stretches to help avoid that. I’m also trying to start doing yoga in general (I have bought a couple books and saved a few posts online) but haven’t been brave enough to take a class yet. I’m THE most unathletic person ever and I’d like to go in only 80% clueless if possible. ?
I loved Parenthood and The Fosters. I remember watching OITNB while nursing and fearing he would pick up on those words…at a few weeks old. HAHA!
I have the 40oz version of that bottle from Costco and love it. If I drink 2 while at work I feel good (I work 620-230) bc then I know I at least got 100oz most likely by the days end.
I did buy donuts but only bc they were 1/2 off for National Donut Day lol.
Finn looks just like you!! So darn cute! As for topics I have always wanted to do yoga but am intimidated. A blog on how to get started would be awesome! Congratulations on your little man.
Finn is so beautiful. You and Tanner are so blessed to have a healthy baby.
Shows: The Marvelous Mrs. Mazel, Orange is the New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Girlfriends Guide to Divorce. They are all super light and funny – perfect for the crazy first few weeks of life at home with a baby.
Post ideas: I always love “day in the life” posts so I think that would be interesting to see the difference post-baby. I’d also really appreciate a post about how breastfeeding is going for you. I am 5 months postpartum and had a tough time breastfeeding and I love hearing about other people’s experiences because I’m really hopeful that it will work out better the next time around.
Finn is just perfect. I hope you are doing well. The first 2 months were really hard for me emotionally and I just want to share that it gets better! The baby will start sleeping longer stretches at night and you can start incorporating the “old you” back into your life. And moms are the BEST in those first few months! My mom stayed with us for 10 days when my son was about a month old and I don’t know how I could have survived without her.
Parenthood on Netflix! It’s just a feel good, great watch!! I have a baby so most of my runs are treadmill these days and it was so fun to have that to watch. I just finished and I’m SO sad!!!
Maybe more day in the life posts??♀️
Also more food product reviews on healthier packaged items… like a kombucha round up and taste test or healthy pancake mix taste test and review or snack/protein bars:)
I feel like they are always coming out with new products and I never know what to order because we live in a rural area I don’t have access to most?
Congrats to you on the birth of Finn!
Some ideas for upcoming posts might be more information about prenatal yoga. Particularly information that coincides with the different trimesters.
I binged the entire first season of The Let Down in one day! I don’t have children (all my friends do!) and I still found it really entertaining.
I really enjoyed The Last Kingdom, Versailles, Seven Seconds, and Safe all on Netflix. A bit intense so daytime watching only for me. ?
OLDIE but a goodie: FRIENDS!! We’ve started watching from the beginning. So funny. So mindless. Only 22 minutes per episode = perfection!
How nice for your mom to come spend time!! Don’t forget to enjoy a little pampering time w/ the hair cut/color — it’s your birthday month! (I got it right this time… ha)
What a sweet guy! Love seeing baby pics. 🙂
Blog posts- a safe ab workout to heal (or not make worse at least) a postpartum diastis recti. I’m scared of doing abs still and it’s been years since the birth!
Also, as a fellow Golden mom, please please explain your strategies and routines for coping with ALL THE HAIR! ?
Thank you, I always look forward to reading your posts!
The Let Down is fantastic and hilarious TV. Although I’m Australian and used to the humour which can be on the darker side at times. I’ve had my American friends tell me they just thought it was depressing which made me sad because I laughed my butt off! There a lot of Aussie-isms in there too.